


Red Lips

by Scarletriss



Category: DCU, Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22233583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarletriss/pseuds/Scarletriss
Summary: Harleen Quinzel was a teen girl, living in Gotham, who really just wanted to make her mother proud. She was active in school, had many friends, kept a 4.0 GPA, and particpated in multiple extracurricular activites. Harleen was aiming for ivy league colleges. Ivy league medical school. She has wanted to be a psychiatrist since she could talk. And sometimes, dreams don't always follow their original plans. She wasn't prepared to fall off the deep end when a smiley ginger boy sat down next to her at the park. She wasn't planning on spending a year in arkham asylum surrounded by criminals that scared her to death. And she lost hope in ever becoming a psychiatrist until one day when her life somehow, finally, just went back to normal before she even met him.
Relationships: Jerome Valeska/Original Character(s), Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel
Kudos: 7





	Red Lips

Harleen sat on a park bench reading a book underneath the shade. It was a warm summer day and she had her brunette hair tied back and she was just enjoying the peaceful weather. Ignoring her surroundings as it was mostly mindless kids playing on the equipment, parents only half watching them. Or dogs playing fetch with their owners and enjoying each others company. No one really bothered her. Outside of school and outside of her gymnastics practice, Harleen preffered to seclude herself. She didn't want to talk to people because that meant having to pay attention to social cues or pretend she cared about who was dating who. Just because she was going to school for psychiatry, didn't mean she wanted to be their psychiatrist.

  
Harleen wasn't even paying attention when a boy sat down next to her. She was too focused on the story she read. A psychological horror story about a woman trapped in a basement. It was good despite all the cliches the write used. She'd only noticed him when he'd leaned over and placed a bright red hankerchief in her book like it was a book mark. Her eyes stared at it for a moment before they rolled up to look at him. And he just had this grin on his face like he just heard the funniest thing in the world.  
“Can I help you?” Her voice dripped with annoyance at the ginger that sat in front of her.

  
“Nope!” He exclaimed. “What are you reading?”

  
“A book? You know it's very weird to just come up and talk to someone you don't know, especially in-”

  
“You're a gymnast with Gotham City All Stars, right?” He cut her off and her face contorted into a look of frustration.

  
“How do you know that? Are you Rebecca's brother, then? I don't believe-”

  
“My names Jerome.” He put his hand out to shake in a way too cocky way.

  
Harleens face had to have been turning red from frustration every single time he cut her off. That was the most annoying part of this encounter. She snapped her book shut and sat it down next to her. She had half a mind to tell him to fuck off, really but she refrained from now. Since clearly this interaction wouldn't be getting back to anyone she actually cared about.

  
“Harleen Quinzel.” She spoke and took his hand. It was the polite thing to do after all. Jerome opened his mouth to say something but this time it was Harleens turn to cut him off. “- And yes, like the Harlequin.” Jerome burst into this cackle like she just told the best joke. But she read his mind and that was the best outcome to him. Harleen took note of his insane amount of energy.

  
“Are you going to tell me how you know I'm a gymnast and why you're bothering me? Or are you just gonna sit here and annoy me?” She mused at him, propping one arm on the back of the park bench. Leaning her head against it.

  
“You were on the news last night and I recognized you.” He shrugged. His eyes fixating on her in a way that sent a shiver down her spine. “You didn't tell me about that book.” His eyes flickered down at it then back up to her.

  
A smile crept onto her face, one that was gentle rather than sharp. Her annoyance with him seemed to be fading slowly. Whether he was a fan of the sport or if he just thought she was cute, she felt flattered either way, At least it seemed like a simple, straightforward answer.

  
“It's a horror novel. Do you like reading?”

  
Jerome seemed to have to sit there and think about that response for a moment. “Sometimes. Depends on the book.” Jerome has had instances in the past where he would sit and read books for hours-days at a time and then stop reading out of no where again. He did that with most things that caught his interest however. Picked them up and toss them away when he gets bored. Rinse and repeat. Jerome reached over and grabbed the book from her. Looking at the synopsis. The ginger haired boy was never so calm, if that was what Harleen chose to describe him as in this instance. But perhaps it was the fascination of this blue-eyed brunette that kept him from acting out on his impluses. Decidedly, Jerome stood up with the book and wrapped one of his arms around it. Giving Harleen the biggest grin she'd ever seen before he'd started walking off with it.

  
Harleen jumped up from her seat, shocked and confused by him just walking off with her, yelled out to him.

  
“Hey! I'm still reading that!”

  
“You'll get it back tomorrow!” He said as he kept going. She'd though about going after him, but Jerome couldn't decide if that was what he wanted or not. “Gotta have an excuse to come find you, don't I?” He yelled back at her without even turning around to look at her. Though she could hear him laughing for just a moment after his words. It wasn't until he was out of sight that Harleen noticed how much her cheeks hurt. How long had she been standing there smiling over this eccentric, chaotic boy?


End file.
